Bush & Blair Take English Lessons

Bush's government likes to dismiss those who disagree with them by accusing them of being 'out of the mainstream'. Rather like 'stay the course', it became, for a while, a buzz-phrase.

So, you'd think that through President Bush's use of the word anyone who isn't in the mainstream isn't a true 'average joe'.

Until of course, today's comment made by unaverage-joe Tony Blair on creationism, seemed to have flipped that phrase on it's head.

While answering worries about the controversial subject being taught in UK schools, the Prime Minister said it would only become a worry if it became 'the mainstream'.

In the UK, being 'mainstream' means being lumped together in an average group of average people doing pretty much average things and thinking average thoughts. Most Brits are happy to be different, eccentric even and far outside being grouped as 'mainstream'.

In the US, the use (or should that be mis-use?) of the word has moulded the meaning into forcing people to conform to the 'mainstream'. You have to be average, toe the line and hold the course for the Country's good. If you don't you are labelled as being 'out of it' and irrelevant to the course the country is taking.

And taken it to the extreme, if you are out of the mainstream you are not a true patriot and a true American.

If you use this to make people seem a threat then you are either stupid or dangerous, or worse; you are both.

Thank goodness the US and UK don't speak the same language, otherwise we'd really be in trouble.

Click here for Blair's definition